Groups involved in the 2018 parade

The Dragon of Shandon Parade is the result of an extensive outreach and participatory programme that spans several months of workshops with community groups, schools, artists and voluntary participants.

Enable Ireland

Cope Foundation

The Brook Centre

National learning Network

High Hopes Choir Cork

Blackpool Youth Club Association

Cork Comics Creators

UCC Drama and Theatre Studies

PassePartout Fire Show

Cork City Samba

The Shandon Shawlies

Cobh Animation Team

Cork City Firebirds

Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance

Art Link Skeleton Dance Troupe

The Coal Quay Shawlies

Cobh Heritage Group​

Art Link Drama group

Happiness is a Choice

Suisha Inclusive Arts

Art Link Skeleton Families

Farranree Tusla Springboard

Traveller Visibility Group

​Macha Shewolf Belly Dancers

Butter Exchange Band

Shandon Men's Shed

Mexicanos en Cork

Cork Figure Skating Association

Crawford College of Art and Design

Groups involved in the 2017 parade

Enable Ireland

Cope Foundation

The Brook Centre Douglas

Cork Life Centre

Gurranabraher Youth Work Ireland Cork

National Learning Network

St Kevin's After School Programme

Terence McSwiney Community College

Blackpool Glen Community Youth Center

High Hopes Choir Cork

The Shawlies

Shandon Shed Men's Club

Butter Exchange Band

Cork City Samba

Cobh Animation Team

Macha Shewolf Belly Dancers

Cork Comics Creators

UCC Drama and Theatre Studies

PassePartout Fire Show

Artink Drama Group

Enable Ireland provides services to over 5,000 children and adults with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities in 14 counties across Ireland. Covering childhood to adulthood, expert teams work with the individual and their family on a plan for each life stage.Enable Ireland's services for adults with disabilities are tailored to individual need. They assist people with identifying and setting the goals they want to achieve from their service to improve their quality of life. They do this by listening, learning and adapting services accordingly to meet a person’s expressed needs and wishes.You can find them here and they also have a facebook page here and a twitter account (@enableireland).

COPE Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which supports 2,150 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism, so that people of all abilities can live life to the full. Through a network of community based support in 65 different locations in Cork City and County, people can access local education, training, leisure, sports and the arts, the full range of specialised health and world class interdisciplinary and residential care and other supports including housing. Guided and responsive to people who they support as well as their parents, families and supporters, COPE Foundation works to create the life enhancing opportunities and environments that people need, now and into the futureYou can find them here & here

National Learning NetworkNational Learning Network provides a range of flexible training programmes and support services for people who need specialist support (job seekers, unemployed, people with an illness or disability) in 50 centres around the country.

The Brook day centreThe Brook provides a comprehensive social integration programme to adults with a mild to moderate intellectual disability. Based in a bright new facility in the south side of the City, the Centre offers social skills training, library and museum trips to its service users.

Gurranabraher / Churchfield Youth Development Project aims to provide a community based response to young peoples’ needs, by offering them the opportunity to contribute to and participate in social education, artistic and recreational activities.

The primary objective is to equip disadvantaged young people with the knowledge and skills necessary for appropriate participation in society.

Programmes are developed through consultation with young people and a local advisory committee, which are aimed towards meeting the needs of the socially excluded young people through a process of empowerment.

Programmes are both centre based and community basedYou can find them here & here

Cork Life Centre is a voluntary organisation offering an alternative learning environment to marginalised young people.

The Centre and its staff offer students 1:1 tuition in Junior and Leaving Cert subjects and support them in their preparation for these State Exams. The approach to education is a holistic one. The value is on the social education of young people as much as on the academic. The Centre provides students and teachers with:

- An open and friendly environment.- Positive trusting relationships with peers and staff.- Continuous support with issues and challenges a student might face during workWith The Centre many young 12-18 year old early school leavers have achieved formal school certification. The success of the project is the mix of nurturance, individual programmes, educational certification, stimulation, fun, hard work, mutual respect and expectations

Terence MacSwiney Community CollegeThe Transition Year Class at Terence MacSwiney Community College are delighted to be invited to participate in the Dragon of Shandon Parade.

They are a very talented group of young people and have wonderful artistic abilities.

This community involvement provides the community link requirement for those who are working towards the prestigious Gaisce Award. This is their first year participating, however, they are hoefully that this link will continue with the vibrant arts world of Shandon and Blackpool.

The Cork Butter Exchange Brass Band has been in existence under its current name since 1878. However the Band's true origins lie back in the early 1840s. The Band known to the people of Cork affectionally as "Da Buttera" is a community based Wind Band with a focus on involvement in local community events and providing the people of Cork with free musical tuition to anyone willing to join the Band.The Band plays at many events through out the year such as parades, festivals, regattas, open air recitals, and Christmas Carols

"​Cork City Samba Band" was formed by friends Darragh O’Connor and Rob Hamilton in May 2012 and has 20 members including people from Brazil, Spain, France, Germany and even Limerick.The band plays both Rio and maracatu style samba as well as hip-hop, drum ‘n’ bass and house rhythms with distinct Brazilian flavour.Along with swinging samba reggae beats and foot stomping funk drumming, the band can also be heard singing and chanting and even though almost half the band are from outside the country you’re also likely to hear them suddenly break into sing-along folk chants like Óró ‘Sé do Bheatha Bhaile and Beidh Aonach Amárach. You can find them here & here.

Shawlies have promoted the history and culture of the city

High Hopes Choir Cork

The choir is made up of people affected by homelessness who now raise awareness of homelessness, poverty and suicide through the power of song.

St Kevin's After School Programme

After School Programme runs for the duration of the school year and is essential in providing support in terms of structured activities, projects and outings which students might otherwise not have access to. Through participation on the programme students get the opportunity to develop pro-social skills and reduce challenging behaviour. The long-term aim is that participants on After School Programme leave school with an increased sense of social responsibility and civic awareness.

Cobh Animation Team was founded in 2012 by the late Cllr Claire Cullinane following on from the Titanic Centenary Commemorations in Cobh. To animate means to bring to life and we breathe life into our rich history and heritage. We are passionate about our town, our past and our style. We are a committed, positive, voluntary group of ladies, gents and children who meet and greet the liners coming into Cobh, perform Living History of 150 years of Cobh to schools, ICA groups and Active Age Groups all over the Country and have been invited to State events, numerous charity events, social events and festivals promoting Cobh,The Great Island, Cork and everything Ireland has to offer. We design and make our costumes (upcycling as much as possible) and cover the era from Victorian to early 20th century.

UCC Drama and Theatre Studies

Department of Drama and Theatre Studies, UCC is involved in the Dragon of Shandon this year through modules in ‘Cultures of Movement and Place’ and ‘Applied Drama and Theatre’. The department forms part of the School of Music and Theatre and is committed to excellence in teaching and research. It has a vibrant learning community dedicated to theory and performance practice, as well as historical, interdisciplinary and cross-cultural understanding of theatre and performing arts.We offer programmes as undergraduate and postgraduate level as well of ongoing evening courses Youth Theatre, Adult Acting and Contemporary Dance. We host monthly Perforum events around the city that are free and open to the public.More info on our Website www.ucc.ie/drama and our Facebook page www.facebook.com/dts.ucc

The Cork Comic Creators are a collective of writers, artists and people that are passionate about making comics.

All are welcome to monthly meet-ups, if you want to make comics, this is where you can get started.

Talk to others, find collaborators, get advice and help others. They meet in Comic Vault on Lower Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork City at 8pm on the last Monday of every month.

Please come along and share your passion for comics.

Macha Shewolf Belly Dancers

Anima Movement Tribe presents

Banshee Rising

Female collaboration of wild women of death hurling back from the mythological times rising in streets of Ireland in old land of Munster .. the shrieking sounds and poisoning movements of the cult bring the true essence of yearning to be free like wild fire

Anima is a group cultivating a passion of movement and performance open to everyone to create and share.. which is facilitated by Macha Shewolf and based in Firkin Crane Cork

https://www.facebook.com/animamovement/

PassePartout

PassePartout Circus Arts is an entertainment company run by Will Flanagan, operating out of the CircusFactory in Cork City.

Established in 2006, PassePartout have performed at countless festivals and events throughout Ireland, Europe, Russia, Asia and Australia.

As an entertainment company PassePartout offer a wide range of high quality indoor and outdoor Shows, interactive Walkabout characters and teach Circus Skills Workshops. More info here.

Art Link Drama GroupCork Community Art Link has been facilitating free drama classes throughout the year that are open to adults with no previous experience. The workshops offer a possibility for the participants to take part in a performance in the public space during our main projects around Patrick's day parade and the Dragon of Shandon Parade. The workshops are made possible thanks to CETB​